1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multicolor display element and a multicolor display apparatus employing a plurality of the multicolor display elements. In particular, the invention relates to a large multicolor display apparatus such as an advertisement display apparatus or a traffic information board, that dynamically displays a large number of characters and graphics with high quality clear colors at high speed.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a large display apparatus disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication Nos. 63-63910 and 63-63911. This apparatus comprises a display board BOD that has 80,000 plastic cubes RI (400.times.200 cubes arranged in directions X and Y, respectively). Each cube RI has a side of 5 cm and includes four planes colored in red, white, blue, and green, respectively. Each cube RI is provided with a magnetic device GI that turns the cube RI for 90 degrees at a time. This apparatus displays characters and graphics in a mosaic form.
In this apparatus, each 5-cm plastic cube RI serves as a display element, i.e., a pixel, which is turned 90 degrees at a time by the magnetic device GI to display color images one after another on a front screen with each pixel providing only four colors. The plastic cube RI is too large and heavy to turn at high speed, and therefore, the apparatus is not suitable for displaying animations.
Such a conventional display apparatus requires several seconds or even several minutes to switch a displayed image to another. In addition, the cubes RI serving as display elements make a loud noise when they are turned to change a displayed image to another. Since the dimensions of the display apparatus with the 5-cm cubes RI are about 10 m.times.20 m, the noise collectively creates a serious environmental problem. The display board BOD is thick and heavy and has poor resolution owing to the 5-cm cubes RI.
In an information-oriented society, large outdoor display apparatuses serve as important communication, advertisement, and information media. In this regard, the display apparatuses are required to correctly inform the public of a large amount of high quality information by displaying clear color animations at high speed. The conventional multicolor display apparatuses do not satisfy such a requirement.